Empire’s Issak Somow: “Have to Get the Win” vs. Utica

Forward returns ahead of massive clash with his former club

(Photo credit: San Diego Sockers/Ryan Young)

Ontario, Calif. — Having suffered consecutive Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) road losses on the heels of a three-game win streak, the Empire Strykers were left scratching their head this past weekend as they tried to make sense of it all. The pair of defeats at Kansas City and Baltimore have injected even greater importance into the midweek meeting with visiting Utica City FC, which is a classic six-pointer for Head Coach Onua Obasi’s side.

5-8-0 (wins-losses-draws) Empire hosts 3-6-2 Utica this coming Thursday, February 5, at 6:35 p.m. PST, with tickets available here. The clash at Ontario’s Toyota Arena will reach U.S. and international audiences via MASL+, the MASL’s YouTube channel, Victory+, SLVR, Unbeaten Network, Sportworld, APEX Sports, National Soccer Network and local PBS station KVCR, with several of the platforms also making the action available on demand. In Mexico, the live broadcast will air exclusively in Spanish via the FOX Sports lineup of channels.

In their 6-3 loss away to the first-place Kansas City Comets, whom they had just emphatically downed 10-6 at home five days prior, the Strykers played their mighty opposition to a fiercely contested affair and even led 2-1 at the break. The Comets would earn all three points by battling back in the second half and outscoring the visitors 5-1, forward Rian Marques dominating on attack with three goals and one assist.

Empire rested several players in the game at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri. While some would join the squad for Sunday’s clash with the Baltimore Blast, others skipped the trip altogether. Among the absences against the Comets were midfielders Ali Somow and Marco Fabián as well as forwards Abdul Mansaray and Issak Somow. Having been previously scheduled for squad rotation, the older of the two Somow brothers, Issak, underwent a minor surgery while his team was fighting for points in the Midwest and on the East Coast. The Utica, New York, native will be squaring off with his former club this week.

After watching both of the recent defeats from afar, the 28-year-old offered his take on the game against the Comets.

“For one, not having some of our key players made things tougher for us. The other thing was the mistakes. When we beat Kansas City in California, we just didn't make as many mistakes. Some of the ones we made at their venue caused goals against us, so that was a real problem. Still, with some of our guys back in the lineup, I figured we’d be okay against Baltimore.”

Unfortunately for the Strykers, they had one of their more disappointing performances in the meeting with the Blast two days later, outshooting the opposition 32-24 but falling 8-2 to a well-organized home side that created the clearer looks on net. While Empire backstop Brian Orozco scored in the game, his counterpart at the other end, Julian Rodriguez, collected two helpers while also recording 13 saves and an outstanding save percentage of 86.7%. A pair of Baltimore defenders, Oumar Sylla and Chad Poarch, shined offensively, each contributing two goals and one assist.

“You could see they were desperate to win in front of their fans,” Strykers midfielder Issak Somow said of the Blast, which had come into the game on a two-game losing streak. “For us, playing on their small field seemed really tough, but they also just looked more hungry. Their ‘keeper made a lot of saves, and we didn't help ourselves with so many turnovers. For some reason, we weren't confident going forward. At times, we were passing a lot without ever shooting or trying to hit it off the boards.”

Against Utica, seventh-place Empire will need to elevate its scoring output if it’s to keep the eighth-place side at bay in the standings. So far this season, several Strykers have shared the attacking responsibilities. Mounir Alami leads his team in points (12) and jointly in goals along with Walter Díaz González (7 each), in addition to ranking second in points per game (0.92 in 13 games) behind fellow forward Díaz González (1.00 in 10 games). Steven Chávez and Justin Stinson share runner-up on Empire in points (11 each). Ant Powell sits tied for third in the MASL in power play goals (2)

Notably, backline anchor Robert Palmer is not only third in the league in blocks (27) but also tied for tenth in helpers (8). Filipe Dutra has recorded the second-most blocks of all Strykers (10).

Palmer and Dutra are primarily tasked with protecting a trio of quality backstops, two of whom boast standout stats. While Brian Orozco ranks first MASL-wide in goals-against average (4.58 in 10 games/459 mins), Brazilian De Lima (4.50 in 5 games/120 mins), who previously missed several matches due to injury, doesn’t qualify for the leaderboard because he hasn’t logged enough minutes. His strong save percentage of 71.9% is also ineligible.

In addition to taking care of his core responsibilities, the 24-year-old Orozco is once again enjoying a remarkable season on offense, having earned two goals and two assists for 0.40 points per game. On average, he has earned one point for roughly every 115 minutes played.

Since the MASL’s inception in 2014, Empire has gone 4-2 against Utica, which includes a 1-0 record in overtime/shootout decisions. Last season, the Strykers dropped their only clash with UCFC 9-6 at home, the defeat coming on December 13, 2024. The two teams have never faced each other in the playoffs.

With last-place Utica trailing Empire by five points and holding two games in hand, the Strykers would build a more comfortable cushion with a victory. In addition, the Southern Californians aim to keep the pressure high on a couple of teams right above them, each of which has played one fewer match. St. Louis and Baltimore hold a four-point edge and a three-point edge, respectively.

Sitting one spot below the playoff picture, Empire looks to climb up the ranks and make it back-to-back appearances in the knockout rounds. Playing under then first-year MASL Head Coach Obasi, the Strykers ended a three-year drought last season.

UCFC will be desperate to snap a three-game losing streak, the longest of its campaign thus far. The visitors from the East Coast, whose two most recent defeats came at Tacoma (8-6) and at home against Milwaukee (7-6), are respectable on attack but have given up the most goals (76) despite having played the fewest games (11).

“They don’t have the same veterans from the past, but they have a young, talented team that is really, really athletic”, said Issak Somow, who joined Empire from Utica on deadline day last season. “They need this win just as much as us, so I expect them to be extremely motivated and press us all over the place. The key will be limiting turnovers and making sure we feed our attacking guys and allow them to go at defenders, create chances and be dangerous.“

For UCFC, shoring up the defense will be crucial at Toyota Arena. Much of the team’s hope in that respect rests on the shoulders of Thayssan Santos and Jose Tavares, who jointly top the roster in blocks (11 each).

On attack, Head Coach Hewerton Moreira’s side, which aims to make it four straight playoff appearances, is led by Sergio Pinal and his excellent sidekick Geo Alves. While Pinal is sixth in the MASL in points (21) and ninth in assists (9) as well as tied for fifth in goals (12) and for third in power play goals (2), Alves ranks tied for tenth in helpers (8), in addition to sitting second on Utica in both points (14) and points per game (1.56 in 9 games). Barbaro Shelier spearheads UCFC’s offensive supporting cast, sitting tied for tenth league-wide in netters (10).

Strykers forward Issak Somow concluded his preview of the clash with his ex-club on an optimistic note.

“We'll get it together for this one,” said the Kenyan American. “We have to get the win. I feel very confident. This is a special game for me since it’s against a lot of familiar faces. I’m ready to go.”

Tickets to all 2025-26 Empire Strykers home matches at Toyota Arena in Ontario are available here.